Fox Searchlight Negotiating Deal For David O. Russell To Direct Russ Meyer Story

EXCLUSIVE: Fox Searchlight is negotiating to acquire a pitch package for The Fighter helmer David O. Russell to direct a feature about Russ Meyer, the maker of exploitation B-movies like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Super Vixens. The script will be written by Merritt Johnson. Formerly Russell’s assistant on Three Kings, Johnson co-wrote the celebrated HBO telepic Temple Grandin and scripted Lovelace, the pic about Deep Throat star Linda Lovelace and her manipulative husband Chuck Traynor. That film has James Franco and Kate Hudson circling the leads and Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman directing.

The deal to tell the Meyer story is being hashed out, and part of it involves getting rights to the Jimmy McDonough book Big Bosoms And Square Jaws: The Biography Of Russ Meyer, King Of The Sex Film. Meyer began plying his trade in exploitation fare in the early 1960s, as the country was loosening up and the sexual revolution was getting under way. His trademark: placing buxom actresses in grindhouse fare that he wrote, directed, produced and even distributed. To say his casts were well rounded would be an understatement. He owned almost all of his films and as a result died wealthy at age 82 in 2004. CAA is repping the package.

19 Comments

Maybe “The Beer Girl” from “The Weather Man” (2005) will finally get a second movie role.

Frankie • on Mar 17, 2011 8:36 pm

Really? Disgusting.

David Konow • on Mar 17, 2011 11:54 pm

Russ Meyer was a true independent filmmaker when the Weinsteins were still crapping in their diapers. He indeed owned almost all of his films lock, stock and barrel, and Roger Ebert once said that Russ had more control over every frame of his films than the biggest directors in Hollywood ( that included Spielberg and Scorsese). Whatever you think of his movies, he was indeed a true auteur, William Goldman even said so, and as a long time fan, I’m very curious to see how this turns out if this project ever comes together.

Striptease Star • on Mar 18, 2011 12:04 am

Pandora Peaks (seen in Striptease 1996) is featured in the photo in this story! The beautiful blonde with the big boobs in the blue dress! I hope she will be in the movie, along with me, too! We Co-starred in Striptease together! My new movie I made, “Trasharella Ultra Vixen” is influenced by Russ Meyer!

Kent Daughtrey • on Mar 18, 2011 8:15 am

Read McDonough’s book a few months ago. Real page-turner. Interesting the way Meyer could instill both loyalty and anger simultaneously in his friends and employees. He was probably the inspiration for the phrase, “My way or the highway!”

Brian R. • on Mar 18, 2011 1:27 pm

Maybe soap actress Tara Ciabattoni will get a break, I think she’s the last woman in town with real jugs, if I see implants I’ll be disappointed. Russ meyer loves big breasts and small ankles yowzas!

bill • on Mar 18, 2011 6:06 pm

Wow. And Hollywood wonders why their films all crap out. I bet there are like, 2, 3 people out there just dying to see either of these films. And it will really turn on the 10-30 year olds that are missing from the theaters. They’ll be so, so fascinated with the ribald tales of the someone who made films before their parents were born. And so great attaching that A-list talent so they can get flown first class to Toronto and Park City for those festivals dates. The only times the films will have actual audiences.

And just so you know, this is coming from someone who has seen all of Meyer’s films, went to an appearance he made in my teens and have no interest in seeing a film about either him or Linda Lovelace.

BTW – what were the dreadful BO numbers for the highly promoted Lovelace/Deep Throat doc that arrived still born in theaters a few years back?

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Get Reel • on Mar 19, 2011 6:59 am

Right, and look who is directing. That low-life, talentless David “O’Russell.” A perfect fit. Isn’t this a great business?

bill • on Mar 19, 2011 10:19 pm

Russell couldn’t get a job in Hollywood until he fell into the Fighter when Darren Aronofsky dropped out. He’s mostly had bomb after bomb after bomb until the Fighter. That said he is talented. He just doesn’t know what good material is, and he should stick to works for hire like the Fighter.

Get Reel • on Mar 20, 2011 4:11 pm

Talented? He has directed a total of 7 films in 25 years. One was a documentary, one was so bad it was never finished (if it were watchable, another financier would have finished it), and some of the others never even made it to theatrical release. His two commercially successful films were the result of talented casts carrying him (Three Kings and The Fighter). On what basis can you claim he is talented? Blaming his failures on a lack of ability to pick the right material is silly. Little in his 25 year career points to his being talented. If he were talented, he would have had a few more times at bat in two and a half decades, and a much higher batting average than his record reflects.

On top of that, he is a despicable human being. One of the most disliked people in the business, and rightfully so. But maybe that is an asset?

Joe • on Mar 18, 2011 7:28 pm

After Burt Reynolds first met Pandora Peaks while making “Striptease,” Burt said “she makes Dolly Parton look like a tent pole.” LOL.

Tittyman • on Mar 18, 2011 7:54 pm

Too bad Russ passed away he could have directed the big-screen Wonder Woman.

Alex • on Mar 19, 2011 6:14 am

He made garbage for smelly old movie theaters and failing drive-in’s. This will not be the next “Ed Wood”.

criswell • on Mar 19, 2011 12:02 pm

yeah, boy, Ed Wood was such a stellar talent. Russ Meyer is a complete hack compared to him.

JerrytheCabbie • on Mar 19, 2011 3:07 pm

Good or bad, hit or flop, this is one biopic that will always be able to be designated A BIG BUST.

David Konow • on Mar 19, 2011 5:36 pm

Again, whatever you think of the man’s movies, he was a real filmmaker, and at least he and Ed Wood did the best they could to try and make movies their own way and entertain people. What big Hollywood blockbuster these days does anything except suck up money with a vacuum cleaner, and laugh at the stupid suckers paying for it?

MORTY GORDON • on Apr 3, 2011 5:16 pm

I am extatic to say the least.I sure hope fox uses McDonough’s book and does it right.Hopefully get the actors right to play the parts also.I just hope this gets done,got excited because david o russell is mentioned as the director.You really don’t have to be a fan or know who russ meyer was to get interested in this potential film.He made his mark on hollywood and reading McDonough’s brilliant biogrophy you find out the struggles and triumphs.He’s the first to show female nudity on studio films when no one dared.Roger ebert said:Russ invented a genre and dominated a genre.